This
workshop was conducted successfully on 4 May 2022 during
the XV World Forestry Congress. It was jointly organized
by National Institute of Forest Science, Republic of Korea
(NIFoS) and Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research
Institutions (APAFRI). It took place in hybrid format
in which the participants could attend physically and
also online. The participants were mainly researchers
who were involved in the field of urban forestry.
The
welcoming address was delivered by Dr. Seok Woo Lee Director
General Forest Environment & Conservation Department
of NIFoS. He welcomed the participants and thanked the
speakers for attending the event. He stressed the importance
of re-examining the role of urban forests in the era of
climate crisis by integrating academic disciplines such
as urban meteorology, atmospheric science, and soil environment
science, and to seek ways to utilize urban forests as
a sink of greenhouse gases. He hoped that the meeting
would serve as a cornerstone for building a strong network
to expand green infrastructure in major cities worldwide.
Dr.
Su Young Woo, President of Korean Society of Forest Science,
and Dr. Mark Majewsky, Supervisory Forester of Northern
Research Station of USDA Forest Service delivered congratulatory
remarks for the workshop. They urged the attendees to
take this opportunity to build up relationships and extend
the network for future collaborations.
The
keynote speech was delivered by Prof. Sujong Jeong from
Seoul National University. He explained that the climate
crisis is an unavoidable reality but at least urban forests
are mitigating climate change, and urban forests will
serve as a buffer so that humans can adapt to the climate
crisis. Dr. Satoshi Hirabayashi from Davey Institute of
USDA Forest Service introduced the development process
of Korean i-Tree Module, a tool for economically evaluating
the value of urban forests, and stated that Korea will
take the lead in urban forest value evaluation.
Dr.
Chan Ryul Park of NIFoS introduced the research findings
on the function of urban forests as a carbon sink. Prof.
Chang Eui Park of Korea Institute of Science and Technology
has spoken about the importance of urban forests in megacities
in preparing for the extremely hot heat wave. Furthermore,
Prof. Hang Su of Max Plank Institute of Chemistry Germany
raised the necessity of research on the interaction of
vegetation-air quality and urban forest management because
volatile organic compounds generated in urban forests
affect air quality and human health.
The
panel discussion on Direction and Perspective on EANUF
was moderated by Prof. Gayoung Yoo of Kyung Hee University.
The panellists were Ms. Alexis Ellis of USDA Forest Service,
Prof. Hyun Seok Kim and Prof. Seok Woo Son of Seoul National
University.
In
his wrap-up message, Dr. Im Kyun Lee of NIFoS emphasised
the importance of urban forest and green infrastructure
in creating a more liveable environment for human and
all lives around urban areas. He also expressed his appreciation
to the speakers and participants for this fruitful meeting.
